Red Bank Green

Serving Red Bank and Greater Red Bank, NJ

Sisters Sarah and Claire Taylor came to the Broadway Diner from Ocean Township with their mom on Tuesday not knowing it had closed. Below, the diner’s famous buttermilk pancakes are now a memory. (Photos by John T. Ward and Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON

The promise of a “Diner Open 24 HRS,” proclaimed in neon, ended in Red Bank Monday morning without an opportunity for fans even to say goodbye.

For 18 years, the Broadway Diner on Monmouth Street was a vital and consistent part of the community, as reflected in the degree to which both staffers and customers felt blindsided by its abrupt closing.

“I am in mourning,” said 18-year-old Colts Neck resident Jess Soden, who came into town with a friend Monday afternoon jonesing for the diner’s waffles, but ended up theatrically curled into a fetal position on its front steps. “They were just so crunchy, yet so fluffy on the inside.”

Maggie McDonough, left, and Carly Friend showed up at the diner for lunch yesterday. Below, Jess Soden, in mourning despite the giggles. (Click to enlarge)

Comments from customers met outside the diner on Monday and Tuesday – not to mention the dozens of others who chimed in on redbankgreen and its Facebook page – underscored that the Broadway was more than a place to get a quick, cheap meal. It was a haven and sanctuary to many in our area. It was a place that welcomed children, teenagers and adults, and it was the place you could find construction workers rubbing elbows with office workers.

“This is so sad. I’ve gone here since I was a little kid,” said Carly Friend, looking crushed.

“Now I don’t know what to do on my Sunday mornings,” said her friend, Maggie McDonough. “My family comes here all the time. We would joke around it was our second home.”

Diner owner Amy Russo plans to replace the eatery with a version of her luncheonette Toast, which has restaurants in Asbury Park and Montclair. She has not responded to requests for comment.

That plan, though, was not enough to fill the void in some customers’ stomachs and hearts.

“I for one am going to miss their matzo ball soup and chicken pot pie,” said David Lipton, a therapist with a practice in Red Bank. “I’ve been to Toast in Asbury and was not impressed. I count on [the diner] for their matzo ball soup. They make it like my grandmother, and they had excellent chicken pot pie.”

Nine-year-old Sarah Taylor bounded out of a minivan with her 13-year-old sister, Claire, only to discover the diner locked and darkened Tuesday afternoon. She’d been craving a cheeseburger, cheesefries and a shake.

What made the Broadway’s food better?

“It’s like eating something at the beach,” Sarah said. “It tastes better because it’s at the beach. It was like that here.”

Mary Kouvel, the town’s zoning board secretary, said she ate lunch nearly every day with two co-workers at the diner.

“It’s easy to get there and back in an hour,” she said. “It’s cheap. It’s comfortable. They knew us all by name. They let us split sandwiches.” When her husband died last year, the restaurant staff sent her a gift basket.

“We’ll miss it,” she said.

So will Jess Soden’s friend, Sara Genke, another Colts Neck 18-year-old, who read on Twitter that the diner was closing, but didn’t realize it had already shut down.

“They had the best disco fries,” she said. “And hot chocolate.”

“I’ve been going to the Broadway Diner for years,” said Laura Sigman, who made a trip into town from Ocean Grove. “The big salad and an indie movie were one of our favorite dates. It’s sad to see another part of the local scene disappear. I can’t imagine Monmouth Street without the neon Broadway Diner sign.”

For this Pie Hole writer, the closing of the diner is just one more adjustment to make. It’s goodbye to the place I brought my kids for the last 18 years, the one spot in town that was affordable, satisfied everyone’s palate, and had cool mid-century style. Mostly, I will miss being able to order pancakes and onion rings at two in the morning.

What are your memories of the diner? Were you a “regular,” and did you know the waitresses? Did you spend time here with your friends from school? Most of all, what did you always order, and what will you miss? This is your opportunity to dish to PieHole.

03.03 - Bubble Wrap Prints at MTPL Middletown Township Public Library invites ages 2 to 6 to help cover the tables in the Children's Activity Room in bubble wrap — then paint on the wrap, and make prints from the paint (remember to 'dress for mess')!

03.03 - One Night of Queen It's an 'amazingly accurate tribute' to the days when the late Freddie Mercury and company ruled the airwaves, starring Gary Mullen and The Works and featuring the greatest hits of Queen.

03.03 - TITLE IX AND CAMPUS ACTIVISM lecture at BCC As part of the Spring Lecture Series, Brookdale Community College welcomes civil rights activist Annie Clark, cofounder of the national advocacy group End Rape on Campus, for a discussion on the prevalence of sexual assaults at American colleges and how citizens can fight to stop them. Park in lots 6 or 7.

03.04 - Noble Writers at MTPL Middletown Township Public Library hosts a free weekly Wednesday morning meeting of the writing group for women, with all welcome to join and no registration required. A Writing Critiquing Group also meets every Wednesday evening at the library, 7 pm.

03.04 - GUADALUPE IN THE GUEST ROOM It's a world premiere from Two River Theater Company; an intimate play by Tony Meneses in which a Mexican woman’s daughter’s sudden death leaves the mother struggling to connect with her American son in law; looking past the cultural and language barriers to find common interest in the most unexpected places. Performances at 1 pm and 7 pm.

03.04 - Pottery Open House at Thompson Park Come to the park's Creative Arts Center; sample some hand building techniques and try your luck at the potter’s wheel in this free session. Open to ages 7 and up, under 18 with adult.

03.05 - Laugh at Lunch: Frangela Brookdale Community College Student Life and Activities hosts the 'pop cultural pundits' comedy team of Frances Callier and Angela V. Shelton (Best Week Ever, Today Show, Showbiz Tonight and many other TV shows) in a lunchtime pitstop to the Warner Student Life Center on the Lincroft campus.

03.05 - Artists' Workshop The Red Bank Public Library hosts an informal monthly gathering with Artist in Residence Joe Bergholm, in which artists can 'find inspiration and motivation' in a space for creative people to draw and paint with others. No registration necessary; bring acrylics, pastels, watercolors, charcoal or pencils (no oils, please).

03.05 - GUADALUPE IN THE GUEST ROOM It's a world premiere from Two River Theater Company; an intimate play by Tony Meneses in which a Mexican woman’s daughter’s sudden death leaves the mother struggling to connect with her American son in law; looking past the cultural and language barriers to find common interest in the most unexpected places.

03.05 - Comedy Night Live at The Dub Chris Covert of Jersey Jokers presents the latest in a regular series of standup comedy Open Mics, in which some of the region's future stars (and ha ha hopefuls) are showcased upstairs at the Dublin House.

03.06 - First Friday Freestyle Art at MTPL Middletown Township Public Library invites grades K and up to a new program offered on the first Friday of the month for school age kids. Each month we'll experiment with a simple art concept. Space is limited; preregistration required.

03.06 - DREAMSCAPES AND SHAPED DREAMS Art Opening The Oyster Point Hotel hosts a reception for an exhibit of paintings (curated by Gerda Liebmann) by cousins Eileen and Lynne Kennedy. The artists will be present (and the public is welcome) during the reception from 7 to 9 pm, with the exhibit remaining on display in the first and second floor lobby areas through April 26.

03.06 - GUADALUPE IN THE GUEST ROOM It's a world premiere from Two River Theater Company; an intimate play by Tony Meneses in which a Mexican woman’s daughter’s sudden death leaves the mother struggling to connect with her American son in law; looking past the cultural and language barriers to find common interest in the most unexpected places.

03.06 - Burt Bacharach The master pop songwriter of the second half of the 20th century is still touring at the age of 86; returning to Red Bank with piano, orchestra, singers and a most awesome catalog of hits.

03.06 - Microsoft Word Discussion Group at MTPL Middletown Township Public Library hosts an introductory class on this entry—level desktop publishing application and create newsletters, brochures, cards, and more. Control page layout and design, and publish your own works.

03.06 - DIGGING THE WHOLE The Brookdale Community College Performing Arts Center is the setting for a student production of the interactive family musical, in which the flora and fauna of the forest confront a slob who makes his new home in the middle of the woods.

03.07 - Open Shoot Archery at Thompson Park The homebase of the Monmouth County Parks System invites ages 8 and up (under 18 with adult) to try your hand at open shoot archery, with all equipment provided (no outside equipment permitted). Cash or check only; limited instruction provided to beginners.

03.07 - Drop—in Surprise Storytime at Deep Cut Gardens Join us for a free reading from a nature— or garden—related book at Deep Cut Gardens, Middletown. If the weather is nice, look for the clue at our entrance that leads to the secret spot in the gardens. If it’s rainy or cold, we’ll be inside the Horticultural Center.

03.07 - Middletown First Aid Squad at MTPL Middletown Township Public Library invites all ages to meet some of the township's volunteer emergency responders, with mini health screenings at 10 am, and a chance to learn about the First Aid Squad at 10:30.

03.07 - DIGGING THE WHOLE The Brookdale Community College Performing Arts Center is the setting for a student production of the interactive family musical, in which the flora and fauna of the forest confront a slob who makes his new home in the middle of the woods. Performances at 11 am and 2 pm.